


Counting Bodies Like Sheep

by hexedmaiden



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Alternative Universe - FBI, Attempted Murder, Blood and Gore, Cults, Happy Ending, Human Sacrifice, M/M, Murder, Single Parent Din Djarin, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 19:40:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28515828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hexedmaiden/pseuds/hexedmaiden
Summary: Agent Cobb Vanth is assigned a new partner, an Agent Djarin, just in time for a new string of murders to pop up.
Relationships: Din Djarin/Cobb Vanth
Comments: 46
Kudos: 165





	1. Chapter 1

Cobb rolls over in bed trying to pretend he has more time to sleep in and not that he woke up ten minutes before his alarm goes off like clockwork. He hears the book he fell asleep reading hit the floor.

Sighing, he drags himself from the bed in the dark. He sits his book on the nightstand next to the reading glasses that he at least had enough sense to take off before he drifted off to sleep.

Cobb stretches his arms above his head as he walks to the bathroom. He feels his shoulders pop as he yawns. Tossing his underwear into the clothes basket makes a mental note to do laundry when he gets home. He steps into the shower, the hot water cascades over him as he stands under the stream. Using the shower mirror he has stuck to the tiled walls he picks up the razor to trim up the wayward bits of facial hair.

After rinsing the conditioner from his hair and soap from his body, he turns the handle of the shower to shut off the water. He reaches out a hand from the shower curtain and pulls the towel from the rack into the shower to dry off.

Cobb looked at himself in the mirror and slicked back a flyaway strand of silver hair. He straightened the dark grey blazer he wore over a deep red button-up. He tightened the bolo tie around his neck as the finishing touch before grabbing a quick breakfast downstairs. He poured the last bit of the pot of coffee into a tumbler and headed out the door.

⎯

Cobb swiped his ID badge and watched as the gates slid open for the employee parking lot of the FBI building. After pulling into a spot he made his way inside. He greeted the security guard Kuiil at the front desk as he headed to the elevator.

He took a sip of his coffee as the elevator chimes as the doors slide open. He steps out into the office floor and makes a b-line for his desk. The desk next to his is still empty.

Cobb sits at his desk twirling his pen between his fingers. His eyes catch movement from the elevator. A man he doesn’t recognize struts onto the office floor. His slightly wavy brown hair is neatly styled, though an errant curl has untucked itself from its place behind his ear. He’s dressed in a pale maroon shirt under a black leather jacket. Cobb doesn’t get a long enough look because the man makes his way to Director Karga’s office.

Cobb slides his feet from where they propped up on the desk just moments before to the floor. Fennec looks up from her desk across from his.

“What’s got your spurs all tangled up, Cowboy?” Fennec asks. Her eyes follow Cobb’s direction to the closed office door. “The new guy? Really?”

Before Cobb can even process the information he hears someone shout.

“Vanth! Get in here!” Director Karga shouts from across the floor.

“Good luck, Cowboy.” Fennec snickers as Cobb hops up from his chair all but sprinting to the Director’s office. He follows Karga inside, shutting the door behind him. Cobb takes in his new partner as the other man stands up from one of the chairs in front of the Director’s desk with a folder in his hands.

The mustache he sports is neatly trimmed; there’s a bit of hair on his chin and jawline that Cobb bets would feel great against his- he shakes himself from that highly inappropriate thought schooling his features.

“Agent Vanth this is your new partner Agent Djarin.” Greef Karga motions to Djarin. The man gives him a quick once over. Cobb feels like a bug pinned under Djarin’s gaze.

“Agent Djarin, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Please, just call me Cobb.” Cobb says with a friendly smile. He sticks a hand out toward the other agent to shake. The man keeps a neutral face as he takes Cobb’s hand. His grip is strong and brief.

“Agent Vanth.” Djarin nods letting go of Cobb’s hand. Cobb makes a mental note of the lack of ring on his left hand. No tan line either.

“Alright, you two get outta my office. Vanth, go show Djarin his desk.” Karga dismisses them. Both men make their way out of the office quickly. Cobb takes the lead.

“We’ve got you set up right over here next to me. This is Fennec, she's our criminal pathologist,” Fennec gives a small wave of an acknowledgement as Cobb and Djarin walk over.

“There’s coffee, water, and donuts over there or there’s the vending machine if you want a soft drink.” Cobb leans against his desk.

“Thank you,” Djarin says.

“Not a problem. Let me know if you need anything while you settle in.” Cobb pushes away from his desk to return to his seat. Djarin stands there for a split second before sitting down at the empty desk he's been assigned to.

Djarin places the manila folder on the desk. Cobb watches from the corner of his eye as Djarin places a yellow post-it to the bottom corner of the computer monitor. The man pecks at the keys to log in. Cobb takes a drink of his coffee. It’s gonna be a long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on twitter, tumblr, and pillowfort @hexedmaiden


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're about to earn that Explicit rating for gore.

Cobb woke to the sound of his cell phone ringing. The sun had yet to rise and the glow of an incoming call illuminated the bedroom. His face still smashed into his pillow Cobb reached for the phone.

"Hello?" Cobb mumbled into the receiver.

"Agent Vanth. We've got a one eighty-seven. I'll be honest. It ain't pretty. Djarin is on his way in now." The dispatcher responds.

"I'm on my way."

Cobb hung up and his phone buzzed with a text of the address. He rushed to dress pulling on the slacks from yesterday. He threw on a red checked button-up. He grabbed his blazer and stetson before heading out the door.

⎯

He pulls his car up to the roadside motel. The place had seen better days. The exterior paint was missing in spots. The neon lights of the sign were flickering above the place. Marked cruisers were stationed outside their lights flashed blue and red. The sirens themselves were off and yellow tape sectioned off the scene. Some people peeked out of their curtains, others more boldly stood in the doorway of their rooms.

Cobb could see Djarin standing next to his car waiting for him to arrive. His tan skin glowed under the lights making him look like a painting.

Cobb put his vehicle in park and slid out of the driver seat. His hand adjusted the hat he wore before shutting the door.

"What have we got Agent Djarin?" Cobb called out as he walked toward the shorter man.

"Two bodies. Ages twenty-five and thirty-three. Both female. The door was unlocked but the chain on the bolt was cut. No noises, no witnesses." The two men duck under the barrier of tape and enter the motel room.

The center of the bed was soaked in red. It looked almost brown in the dim yellow lights of the room. It was clear one of the women had fallen to the ground. She dragged herself toward the door. A handprint on the carpet reached out toward them. There were drag marks from her being pulled toward the bathroom in the back of the room.

The fluorescent bright white light crept from under the half-closed bathroom door. Cobb could already tell that whatever was in that bathroom was going to be even worse before Djarin’s gloved hand pushes the door open. Cobb flinched against the sudden brightness.

The bathtub was full of parts. Legs and arms were stacked neatly next to the torsos that sat in the tub. The torsos were cut open before they were sewn shut. Blood had seeped through the stitches. The heads were missing. Cobb notices the faint red ring next to the tub where he assumed a bucket was placed to take trophies.

"Jesus. Mary, and Joseph." Cobb stands with his hands in his hips in disbelief.

"We don't know what's missing besides the heads. But chances are they took more than that. We won’t know what until Agent Fennec gets a look.”

“What have they collected so far?” Cobb catches Djarin’s brown eyes.

“The usual prints, hairs, and fibers but I have a good feeling it won’t belong to our killer. Something like this tells me they aren’t looking to get caught any time soon. None of their belongings seem to be missing. Credit cards, cash, and IDs were left behind.”

“I know,” Cobb sighs, “I was just hoping they were stupid.”

Cobb rubs his eye with the back of his wrist mindful of the gloves he has on.

Djarin huffs out a small laugh. 

“Did anyone talk to the receptionist about security footage?"

"Yeah. Cameras in the lobby have one of our victims checking in but no cameras are facing the parking lot or the building."

"Fuck."

"The techs have marked and photographed everything. All that's left is the coroner's office to come to collect the bodies and see what they can get off them." Djarin peels his gloves off and puts them into the waste bin outside that the crime scene techs have set up. Cobb does the same following him out the door into the chilly morning air.

The sun has started to peak through the clouds. The sky was streaked with pinks, blues, and yellows. Gravel crunched beneath his boots as makes his way toward his car.

"There’s a Waffle House on the way back into town if you wanted to grab breakfast? I'm buying." Cobb stops next to Djarin’s open car door. The man bites his lip thinking a moment.

"Yeah. Lead the way." Djarin says before getting into his car. Cobb jogged over to his black Lincoln Town car.

⎯

The two sit at the counter of the small diner. The waitress poured them each a cup of coffee while they wait. Djarin took his black and Cobb pours in enough cream and sugar that Djarin broke his silence.

"What’s the point of having coffee if you can't even taste it?"

"Some of us just want to have the caffeine without it tasting like we're drinking dirt."

Djarin just shakes his head before he takes a sip of his coffee. Cobb swears he saw the corners of his mouth lift.

"You gonna ask?"

"Ask what?"

"Why I asked for a transfer."

"Nope. It ain't any of my business and I figure you'll tell me if I need to know." Cobb takes a sip from his cup raising an eyebrow. The tension from Djarin’s shoulders fall. Cobb wants to reach out and put a reassuring hand on the man’s shoulder. He doesn’t. Instead, he reaches into his pocket for his phone.

He shoots a message to his cousin Peli letting her know he’s gonna skip their usual lunch meeting. It was a tradition that started when they reconnected as adults seeing as they were the only family they both had left. He pockets his phone in time for the waitress to bring them their plates. Two waffles, a slice of ham for Djarin, bacon for Cobb, and two plates of hashbrowns.

The two ate in comfortable silence. Neither felt the need to make idle chit chat. Occasionally their arms would brush against one another. It only felt awkward when they reached for the maple syrup at the same time. Their hands knock into one another. Cobb let out a small laugh before he pushed the small jug toward Djarin. His partner gave him a small half-smile and poured more syrup over his waffles.

Cobb pays their bill as promised after they had finally finished their meals. The two got into their respective cars and headed into the office to wait for results.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on twitter, tumblr, and pillowfort @hexedmaiden


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An Autopsy Interlude

Cobb was playing solitaire on his computer and watching Djarin fight sleep at his desk as they waited. The clock on the wall ticked on slowly. Cobb swears it hasn't moved at all. He has half a mind to tell Djarin to go home and get some rest when they finally get the call that Fennec has something to report.

Fennec greets them at the door to the pathology lab in the basement. She wore her long brown hair in a braid that draped over her shoulder. Her all-black ensemble was covered up by the white lab coat she wore. She walked them over to the two large autopsy tables that were covered with body parts.

“Sarah Mitchell, age twenty-five. Toxicology reports came back negative. Our other girl Nicole Hannah, age thirty-three also came back negative. There were no signs of penetration or semen found on the bodies. All hairs, fibers, and prints came back to our victims. The place was clean otherwise.” Fennec moves to stand between the two tables.

“Sarah and Nicole’s time of death was approximately 2 a.m. Most of Sarah’s blood was found in the bed. Nicole was the one who fell off. If I had to guess, Sarah was killed first. Most likely slit her throat while she slept. Quick and quiet. Maybe she thrashed for a brief time and woke up Nicole. Our guy was right on top of her before she could shout. They rolled off the bed after she fought back, but he got her before she could alert anyone.”

Fennec’s black-gloved hands pull back the flaps of skin from the Y incision on Sarah’s body like the petals of a flower.

“I wasn’t sure what we were going to be dealing with when I opened the stitches on both victims.”

There’s a hole in the center of Sarah’s chest. Her heart and lungs were missing.

“The way they dismembered our vics and removed the organs was surgical. Whoever you’re looking for went to med school at some point.”

“What did they take from Nicole?” Djarin asks. Fennec looks up at him.

“Just her kidneys.” Fennec opens Nicole’s chest and the two men move over to look inside.

“Why only those? Anything come back for infections or disease? Could there be something wrong with the meat?” Cobb crosses his arms walking around the table.

“You think whoever did this was what? Grocery shopping?” Djarin looks at him unimpressed.

“It’s a thought.” Cobb raises an eyebrow at him.

“I think it’s a reach but we won’t rule it out.” Djarin gives him a look and Cobb straightens up to move back beside him. Fennec takes a layer of gloves off tossing them into the hazardous waste bin.

“I’ll email you both copies of the reports and results.”

“Thanks, Fennec.” Cobb gives her a salute and she rolls her eyes.

“Agent Djarin, get this cowboy out of my lab.”

“Yes ma’am.” Djarin grins and nudges Cobb toward the door.

⎯

Later that evening Cobb felt the book jerk in his hands not realizing he had fallen asleep for a split second. He returned the bookmark he was using between the book’s pages before placing it on the nightstand. He took off his reading glasses placing them on top then reached up to turn the table lamp off.

After rearranging his pillows he rolls onto his side and pulls the thick blanket up to his chin. Falling asleep the moment he closed his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on twitter, tumblr, and pillowfort @hexedmaiden


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens!!

Cobb exits the elevator his hands full as he makes his way to his desk. He sat the box of fresh donuts down and the two coffees he had picked up. One for him and the other for Djarin, who was currently absent. Cobb gave a mental shrug. Djarin had looked exhausted at the scene yesterday, so it wasn’t hard for Cobb to imagine the man had slept through his alarm.

Cobb took a bite of one of the sprinkle flecked donuts.

Djarin walks into work twenty minutes late.

The man shuffled his way over, throwing himself into his chair. The bags under his eyes looked worse.

“I brought you coffee and donuts.” Cobb places the goods on Djarin’s desk. The brunette picks up the cup and takes a sip. He lets out an appreciative hum.

“You’re a miracle.” Djarin licks his lips making Cobb’s brain short circuit for a minute.

“Long night?” Cobb takes another bite of his donut.

“Yeah, mi pequeño, my son he’s nine months old, but he wasn’t very happy when I had to have our neighbor watch him at 5 a.m. when we got called in yesterday.”

Cobb never suspected that Djarin has a kid. Millions of questions float around Cobb’s head. Is the mother still in the picture? Did he and a partner adopt but divorce later on? 

“What’s his name?”

“Gregory, but his nickname is Grogu. My neighbor’s kid can’t pronounce his name so she calls him Grogu instead.”

“Grogu, that’s cute. Almost sounds like a character from a sci-fi movie.” Cobb smiles.

“His ears are big enough he could be.” Djarin laughs. Cobb takes notice of the small dimple that appears on the man’s cheek and he’s positively charmed by it. Cobb doesn’t get to enjoy it for long before Director Karga calls them.

“Vanth, Djarin we’ve got another one.”

⎯

They pull into a small trailer park just thirty some odd minutes outside the city.

The trailer sits toward the furthest end of the Derby Hills Mobile Home Community. The mobile home was well maintained. There’s a small garden in the front. A small red tricycle was tipped over in the small yard.

Cobb and Djarin stand by as the crime scene techs file out of the home covered in white jumpsuits, gloves, and masks. As the last of the techs come out outside they motion for the two agents to head in.

Cobb walks into the living room, kids toys litter the floor. An empty ashtray sits on the coffee table that is covered in coloring books. A sinking feeling settles in Cobb’s guts. He can only imagine what was going on in Djarin’s head. They pass through the kitchen and down the hall to the back bedroom.

When they enter the bedroom a man’s body is laid in the center of the bed. His stomach cut open like the two previous victims and stitched shut. Unlike the two women, his arms and legs remained attached. As Cobb moves further into the room that’s when he notices it. Above the bed the phrase WE KNOW - MG painted in what Cobb can only assume is the victim’s blood.

Cobb turns to look at his partner, but the man looks at the wall. His face ashen as if he would faint at any second. Cobb places a hand on Djarin’s shoulder hoping to comfort him in some way.

“What’s wrong?”

“I-I have to go.”

“Djarin, what’s happened?”

“I don’t know. I just have to make sure Grogu’s okay.” The brunette closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “Give me twenty-four hours. Please.”

“Go. Take as much time as you need.” Cobb tightens his grip on his partners shoulder before letting go. He watches the man walk down the hall and out of the trailer. Cobb turns his attention to the local police officer that was guarding the door.

“Hey, any idea where our victim’s kid is?”

“He’s with the mom. She and the dad share custody, it was his week with the kid. She’s the one who found him when she came to drop the kid off.”

Cobb slumps against the door frame letting the tension drain from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on twitter, tumblr, and pillowfort @hexedmaiden


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We find out what Din has been up to and also backstory!

It had been twenty-four hours and Cobb had not heard anything from Djarin. He thought of calling him, but he had a gut feeling that he should wait.

Sure enough Cobb sees Agent Djarin sitting on his desk as he walks into the office. Something in the man’s eyes tells Cobb that things are about to get worse.

“Director Karga let me borrow one of the conference rooms. Come on." Djarin pushes himself away from Cobb’s desk. Cobb has no choice but to follow him.

The conference room was large enough to hold twelve people but it was only the two of them. The corkboard that lined the back wall was covered in photos and red string. This is what Djarin had been doing in the last twenty-four hours.

Cobb follows him to the back of the room taking in the sight before him. Mutilated corpses missing arms, legs, one had the flesh removed from their face entirely. Then there was the bodies of their cases. Red string connects them all to the photo of an older proud gentleman that was labeled Moff Gideon.

“Two years ago I was assigned a case that involved a string of homicides that lead to some missing women. We had no leads, no witnesses, and some of the victims were sex workers so you know how most of those cases were treated.”

Cobb nods both for him to continue and because he dealt with officers in his early career who wouldn’t take those cases seriously.

“A year later they finally made a mistake. A home security camera caught the van they drove on camera and the license plate number. We tracked down the address of the owner and found it was a commune. They called themselves the Galactic Empire. They believed a true ruler would rise and bring peace to the galaxy. That this ruler was an alien life form.”

Djarin leans against the desk behind Cobb as he continues.

“We soon learned, thanks to an undercover agent, that all of this” Djarin motioned to the photos, “was because they were building a vessel for their ruler.”

“That’s a new one for the books.” Cobb lightly jokes. Djarin gives him a small smile.

“We had them surrounded. My old partner and I had gone into the unattached church they had built behind the main building.” Djarin’s knuckles tighten on the edge of the desk in memory. Cobb’s hand, without thinking, rests on top of the brunette's. 

“There was a crib. They were gonna sacrifice him. I shot the young man who had a knife in his hands. Grogu was covered in blood that wasn’t his. I didn’t care about anything but getting to that crib. I don’t remember what happened. One minute I was holding him in this church and the next I was outside. EMTs were swarming us.” 

“I thought that was the end of it. I wanted to believe my son was safe. That those fucking losers had moved on or they were all rotting in hell.” Djarin voice broke. Cobb moves to stand between Djarin’s legs; he pulls him close, holding him. He feels Djarin shake in his arms.

“There was no reason for you to believe that it wasn’t over. That he wasn’t safe.” Cobb feels Djarin’s arms wrap around his waist.

“I promise you I won’t let anything happen to him, or you. Djarin, I mean it.”

The other man pulls back slowly and looks into Cobb’s eyes.

“Din. My name’s Din Djarin.”

“Din. I like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on twitter, tumblr, and pillowfort @hexedmaiden


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fluff chapter and the end of the slow burn

Cobb waits for Din to arrive the next morning before heading into Karga’s office. Fennec had sent them the report regarding their third victim. He was missing a liver and intestines.

Director Karga suggests Din go into witness protection for the time being, but the man refuses. After some negotiations Karga got Din to agree to have a security detail with him until the case was over. Cobb nonchalantly offers to stay with Din while the rest of the team does surveillance.

Karga gave Cobb a knowing look at the suggestion. Cobb just hopes to god he isn’t blushing. 

⎯

Later that night Cobb pulls up outside of Din’s home. A small two-floor brick house with a single car garage that sat back from the road. The house is old, much like the neighborhood it resides in. Things were calm and quiet. The sparse amount of street lights made Cobb nervous about the shadows between houses. 

Cobb got out of his car to make his way to the front door. He knocks three times with the back of his knuckles and waits. He can hear the sound of a television on in the house and floors creaking as someone approaches the door.

The door opens to reveal Din in a faded Fleetwood Mac band tee, jeans, and bare feet. Something about this side of Din makes him feel like this is what it must feel like to come home to someone at the end of the day.

A small noise makes the two men jump.

“Sorry, come in. I better go check on him.” Din moves out of the way for Cobb to step into the house. He shuts and locks the door behind him before following Din into the house.

They walk down a small hallway into a living room where a tv mounted to the wall was playing some kind of children's movie. A chair sit angled toward the television and a couch in the center of the room was currently occupied by a small bundle of blankets that were moving about.

Din reaches down to pick a small baby from the nest of blankets. He cradles him close as the child fusses in his arms. His little ears stick out and large brown eyes look toward Cobb. The child points to him babbling up at Din. Din plays along, pretending to know what the child is talking about.

Cobb watches the two of them with an ache in his chest that he doesn’t have the time to unpack. Right now his priority is standing in the kitchen.

Din was preparing a bottle of formula for Grogu as Cobb leaned against the door frame observing them.

“Do you need me to hold him?” Cobb tilts his head toward the baby Din was trying to balance while trying to get the bottle ready.

“Yeah, if you don’t mind?”

“Of course not.” Cobb walks over to him and holds his arms out to take the baby from Din. Grogu snuggles against him immediately. Cobb hums under his breath a song he remembers someone sang to him as a child. The lyrics were a bit hazy but he was sure looking back that they were about a teen girl getting hit by a train. Not the most child friendly of lyrics.

Once the formula was ready Din hands the bottle to Cobb, who looks at him a little unsure. He adjusts his grip on Grogu before taking the bottle. The child latches onto the bottle as soon as Cobb touches the tip to his mouth. Din huffs a laugh making Cobb look up at him.

“What?”

“He’s usually more stubborn than this.”

“I think he’s playing nice ‘cause he knows he’s got me wrapped around his finger, just like his daddy. Ain’t that right, Grogu?” The baby makes a happy noise as his little ears wiggle in agreement. Din looks at him with a soft smile.

When the bottle is finished Cobb hands Grogu back to DIn and puts the bottle in the dishwasher after rinsing it in the sink. Din grabs one of the blankets from the couch as he sits in the chair with the baby on his chest, laying the blanket over them both. Cobb turns the kitchen light off dimming the house.

“I’m gonna go secure the second floor, that alright?” Cobb asks.

“Yeah, go ahead. I’ll be here with him.” Din looks over his shoulder at him. Cobb nods before heading up the stairs. He heads to the first door on the right to find the kid’s bedroom. It’s cozy, the pale blue walls are sparsely decorated. A few toys are scattered about. Cobb checks the window above the dark brown dresser. There’s no way of opening it, it’s practically glued shut from years of being painted over.

The next room across the hall is Din’s bedroom. It feels intimate to be in here. He tries to stay focused and not pay attention to the way the covers are in disarray and how they probably smell like the man downstairs. Much like the windows of the baby’s room the windows in here are stuck shut.

Cobb heads out of Din’s bedroom to the door at the end of the hall to find a bathroom with no windows so he shuts the door. He looks up at the hallway ceiling. No outline to an accessible attic. Feeling that the second floor is secure he heads back downstairs quietly.

Cobb notices the TV has been turned off and Din’s eyes are closed and so is the baby's on Din’s chest. He doesn’t want to disturb their peace but he knows Din will wake with a sore neck if he doesn’t wake him up now.

“Din,” Cobb spoke in a low voice making sure not to disturb the child fast asleep in Din’s arms. Din’s eyes barely open as he mumbles, “Wha?”

“Why don’t you two go on up to bed. I’ve got down here taken care of, sweetheart,” Cobb says not noticing the endearment that slipped out. Din looked up at him half asleep as he nodded slowly getting up from the chair.

Din whispers a sleepy “goodnight” as Cobb watches as Din carries Grogu up the stairs.

Once the man disappears from view Cobb gets to work on the main floor. He makes his way around the house checking all the locks on the windows. He tests the door handle of the doors. He ventures into the cold stone-walled basement, making sure the small window is secure. He made his way back up the steps and locked the basement door.

The only thing left to do was wait. Cobb sent a text to Fett who was running the security detail on Din letting him know the house was secure. He grabs one of the chairs from the kitchen dining table and moves it close to the stairs. It gave him a view of two main doors into the house. He grabs himself a coke from Din’s fridge and sits down. Every second in the mostly dark house that passesed the more aware he becomes of the gun in his holster.

It was nearing midnight when Cobb hears Din on the stairs behind him.

“Couldn’t sleep?” He asks in a low voice as the man rounds the bottom of the stairs.

“Not really.” Din gives him a small smile. Cobb wants to reach out and run his fingers through Din’s mussed hair. Instead, he leans back in the chair stretching his legs out for a moment.

“Well, I won’t say no to some company.” He says standing up from the chair.

“You want me to make you a coffee or something?” Din asks him standing in Cobb’s space in only a shirt and boxers.

“Sure if you plan to make yourself some.”

“I probably shouldn’t, but I’m going to anyway.” Din chuckles. Cobb couldn’t help the smile on his face as he followed him back toward the kitchen. He stands by as Din makes coffee. Which was just putting pods into a Keurig machine, but Cobb isn’t about to complain. It was a lot quicker than his machine at home.

The two sit on the couch sipping their mugs of coffee. Cobb angles himself toward Din as he sits down.

“Thank you for doing this.” Din breaks the brief silence between them.

“You don’t have to thank me. I promised I’d do what I could to keep you two safe. Even if it means sitting here in the hall with my gun trained at the front door for the next twenty-four hours or twenty-four years.” Cobb puts a hand on Din’s knee and one of Din’s hands comes to cover his. Cobb turns his hand over so that their hands touch palm to palm for a moment. He moves his hand to hold Din’s properly. His thumb rubbing gently across Din’s knuckles.

Cobb isn’t sure which one of them leans in first, but the next thing he knows is Din’s lips are on his. Cobb closes his eyes for a brief second tasting the bitter black coffee on Din’s tongue. He can feel Din’s hand on the back of his neck. The man’s fingers curl around the short strands at the base of his neck. Cobb gasps into his mouth as the brunette pulls him on top of him. Noses brush against each other. Their lips barely touch as they breathe into each other's mouths.

Cobb closes the gap between them kissing Din lazily as he lays between the man’s legs. He runs a hand up Din’s shirt sliding his fingers across the brunette’s ribs. Din shivers under his hands.

“This alright?” Cobb asks between kisses.

“‘S perfect.” Din slurs his words causing Cobb to laugh a little. He nuzzles the side of Din’s face breathing him in. They lay there in each other's arms for a while until Din is the one this time who suggests they both go upstairs to bed.

Cobb drags himself apart from Din and takes Din’s hand as he helps pull him up. Not letting go of the man's hand Cobb follows him up the stairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on twitter, tumblr, and pillowfort @hexedmaiden
> 
> The song Cobb sings is Teen Angel by Mark Dinning, a song which was sung to me a lot as a child by my grandma.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally get our bad guy!

Cobb woke to the feeling of someone crawling into bed with him. It took him a brief second to remember where he was and whose bed he was in. An arm curled around his waist before kisses were pressed to his neck and shoulders.

"If you keep that up we might never leave this bed." Cobb grins as he turns his head toward Din capturing the other man’s lips.

“Come on, breakfast is ready. I washed your clothes this morning, they're on the foot of the bed.”

“God I lo-,” Cobb catches himself from saying those three words. “Thank you, sweetheart.” He kisses Din once more before getting out of bed.

“Oh, by the way, Karga called. There was another one last night. They found a partial print at the scene. They’re running it through the system. He wants us in.” Din informs him as Cobb pulls up his freshly laundered jeans.

“It was a matter of time. Just wish more people didn’t have to get hurt in the process.” He says fastening the buttons on his shirt.

“Me too.” Din sighs. Cobb walks over to him and pulls him into a warm embrace kissing him between his eyebrows.

“It’ll all be over soon.”

⎯

After getting the kitchen cleaned up after breakfast the trio headed out. Cobb, Din, and the security detail made their way to the FBI offices. Now that Din and Grogu were in danger, it was best for Grogu to be brought to a more secure facility. One of the interns, Iggy, is tasked with babysitting duties.

Cobb and Din head to the elevator to make their way to the third floor.

Everyone was buzzing about the office.

“Any updates?” Din asks as soon as the two of them enter Karga’s office.

“We’ve put out an APB for a black, 2018 Handa Accord. Plates ending in 068. The owner is a man named Donmarr Pershing, age forty-two, and he’s a surgeon.” Director Karga opens the folder on his desk and takes out a photo of the man. Pershing was an unassuming man. He wore round glasses and his dark brown hair was cut short and neat much like his facial hair. 

“Where is he now?” Cobb looks up from the photo his hands resting on his hips.

“In the middle of surgery if you can believe it.”

“Christ,” Cobb rubbed his hands over his face.

“The plan, Agent Vanth, is to let him think we aren’t onto him. We’ve already got guys waiting outside his house watching the place in the meantime,” Karga explains, “We’re going to hit him when gets off work in a few hours.”

⎯

They arrive at the house as the sun is starting to set. Cobb’s fingers drum nervously on the steering wheel as they sit out front of their suspect's home. The clock in the car flicks to 5:00 at the same time Karga radios into their ear that everyone is ready. Cobb and Din step out of the car.

“Doctor Pershing, FBI, we have a warrant. Open up!” Cobb orders as his fist pounded on the door. A brief silence falls over them as they wait before a loud crashing sound inside the house. Cobb didn’t give it a second thought as he stood back from the door, kicking it in below the door handle. The front door crashed open. The two agents make their way inside with their weapons drawn.

They clear the living room as they pass before going down a small hallway, they hear the sound of metal clinking together leading them toward a kitchen.

Din rounds the corner with his gun raised as Cobb follows behind. The doctor stares at them with wide eyes. Panic written clearly over his face. Cobb notices the gun in his hand. He hasn’t made a move to aim at either of them yet.

“Don’t do anything stupid, Donmarr. You’re under arrest.” Cobb all but growls. The man’s eyes move wildly between Cobb and Din.

“Why don’t I put my gun away, see.” Din holsters his gun, raising his hands to show the young doctor he’s unarmed. Cobb stands in the doorway behind him, his gun still aimed at the doctor. His index finger rests against the cold metal of the gun above the trigger. 

“Pershing, no one else has to get hurt. We can all walk out of here.” Din tells the young man calmly

“You don’t understand! I have to finish what Moff Gideon started. We were so close.” Doctor Pershing grits his teeth, “The boy was the final piece.”

“How so, Pershing?” Din asks, but Cobb can hear the underlying anger seeping into his voice.

“He was born under a blood moon the same as our emperor. His blood would bring our true ruler back. He needed his blood. You ruined it all!”

Time seemed to slow as Pershing aimed his gun at Din. Cobb fires his gun the same moment Pershing pulls the trigger. Din collapses in front of him as Pershing’s body hits the ground. Cobb feels as though the world has dropped from beneath him.

“Shots fired. We’ve got an agent down. The suspect has been shot. Send medics.” Cobb radios in as he rushes Din’s side. He can feel the panic rising as he gets on his knees noticing the blood on Din’s face. Cobb’s hand tremors as he reaches for Din. He can’t lose him. Grogu can’t lose him.  _ Please _ .

Suddenly Din gasps for air, and begins to cough, “Shit.”

“Oh christ. Don’t ever scare me like that again. Fuck.” Cobb sobs as the tension drains from his body. Din hisses as he tries to sit up with Cobb’s help. He pulls up his shirt exposing the bulletproof under it. The crumbled small-caliber bullet falls onto the floor. The blood isn’t Din’s. Cobb feels like he can finally breathe again.

Cobb cradles Din’s face in his hands.

“I thought me and the kid were gonna lose you.” Cobb kisses Din, mindful of Pershing’s blood on Din’s face.

“Never.” Din whispers pressing his forehead against Cobb’s.

“Agent Vanth? Agent Djarin?” Someone calls into the house.

“In here!” Cobb pulls back to shout through the house.

A paramedic walks in to check Din out. Cobb reluctantly stands back to let them work. They strip Din of the vest and prod gently at the red blotch on his stomach. The impact would leave a nasty bruise, but luckily nothing was broken. They clean the area and put some gauze and tape over it before they clear the two to leave.

“Let’s go get the kid and go home.” Cobb puts an arm around Din’s waist pulling him close as they walk to the car. 

“Home sounds perfect.” Din leans into him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on twitter, tumblr, and pillowfort @hexedmaiden
> 
> Thank you all so much for the support and encouragement on this fic!


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